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Joyswag & Unboxing: Alan Wake PC Collector's Edition
At GDC 2012, Remedy Entertainment handed Joystiq two copies of the PC Collector's Edition for Alan Wake. We're passing them on to our readers!Distributed by Nordic Games in Europe and Legacy in North America, the Collector's Edition includes a number of bonuses. Like the Xbox 360 Collector's Edition, Alan Wake's retail release for PC includes a behind-the-scenes DVD, 'The Alan Wake Files' book, and more. There are also exclusive PC bonuses, like additional music on the soundtrack disc, Bright Falls postcards, and stickers.For a detailed look at the Collector's Edition, check out our unboxing video above. Find out how to enter the giveaway after the break.
Star Wars: The Old Republic 1.2 update big enough for a trailer
Well, this seems like bad news for the Novare Coast real estate market.
Peek into the future of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy system
Yesterday, the Star Wars: The Old Republic guild summit gave players a good idea of what to expect from patch 1.2. But just hearing about things like the new Legacy features and upcoming Operations isn't enough for everyone, which is no doubt part of the reason the development team has put together a trailer for all of the new features. And while the new Operation, Flashpoint, and Warzone might be the most immediately interesting, there's a lot more on display in the trailer. In fact, the trailer shows off more of the cross-race options for new characters that can be unlocked via the Legacy system as well as the upcoming appearance modification and UI customization that the patch will add. There's also a preview of new minipets, the promise of new daily missions on Corellia, and several other tweaks to improve the game. But why take our word for it when you can jump on down and watch the video for yourself? [Source: BioWare press release]
Guild Summit for Star Wars: The Old Republic fielding a plethora of revelations
Would you like to be able to Force Choke people on your Bounty Hunter? Do you want your orange modifiable gear to be viable in the endgame? Are you looking for a little more variety in your Warzones? The first Guild Summit for Star Wars: The Old Republic is promising all of these things, with new information coming in a mile a minute. And if you're missing the livestreams due to work or other obligations, there's thankfully a summary available on Darth Hater covering the big points being hit. The developers are heavily discussing the upcoming patch 1.2 and all that it brings as well as fielding several player questions regarding the design philosophy. Operations are being more finely tuned and polished starting with 1.2, with future Operations meant for two tanks and potentially splitting the group into two teams for two objectives. PvP players will be getting a new set of gear to bridge the gap between fresh 50s and veteran players; there will also be gear with more pure PvP stats to minimize crossover. And if you're more the sort to roll alts, the Legacy system promises more options and combinations than you might have imagined possible. There's a great deal to digest and a lot for Star Wars: The Old Republic players to anticipate, and the event isn't nearly over yet.
SWTOR putting a mailbox on the Millennium Falcon (and other Q&A tidbits)
With the upcoming Guild Summit for Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare had less time than usual to answer the weekly barrage of questions sent in by players, but an honest attempt was made to address some of them. The biggest news to come out of this new Q&A is that BioWare will be improving ship functionality through the Legacy system. We know that this system will allow players to unlock beneficial and cosmetic features inside the game, and Principal Leads System Designer Damion Schubert confirms that two of those unlocks will be the addition of mailboxes and Galactic Trade Network access to player ships. Schubert also said that BioWare is on the verge of revealing all about Legacies: "Watch for more information about Legacy unlocks coming in Game Update 1.2 -- we should be dropping that Real Soon Now." Other topics covered in the Q&A include endgame crafting gear, grey alignment rewards, why BioWare is sticking to a global maintenance window, the ability to turn off the smart camera in 1.2, and the mystery of the Accuracy stat. [Thanks to Drakkonus for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?
Guild Wars has long been a source of mild frustration for me because not all of the game's achievements are account-wide. While aspects of the Hall of Monuments are based on your account's accomplishments and skill unlocks are accessible by alts, the game nevertheless discourages me from devoting time to my secondary toons, not when there are factions and titles still to grind on my main. I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards. So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in the game? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Verizon to stop allowing legacy Alltel devices to be activated on its network, starting today
It's been three years and two days since Verizon officially closed its acquisition of Alltel, and it looks like Big Red's finally putting the sledgehammer down on activating legacy devices from the purchased network. We just received official word from a Verizon spokesperson that effective today, the carrier will no longer allow you to bring over an Alltel device to a retail outlet and get it activated on their network. If you're currently using an Alltel-branded phone on Verizon, don't panic: this new policy change only applies to handsets that haven't already been activated. We can't imagine this will affect too many users at this point, but we imagine Chad's still feeling a little bummed out today regardless. Continue on below for Verizon's statement.
Star Wars Galaxies bequeaths a memory book to fans
Still in mourning and/or shock over Star Wars Galaxies' sunset? Kicking yourself in your rear for never checking out the game while it was still alive? Then Sony Online Entertainment has one last gift for you: a Star Wars Galaxies memory book packed with the game's legacy. And this isn't a brief "So long and thanks for all the fish" pamphlet, either. The memory book is a whopping 253 pages of information and screenshots documenting the title's eight-year run. Former players and MMO historians can expect to read up on the game's timeline, planet, species, professions, space, ships, housing, cities, the Galactic Senate, the trading card game, the Galactic Civil War, and "The End." The book immortalizes the near-total Rebel victory in the game with these parting words: The explosions marking the Empire's end could be seen across the galaxy in the skies above the planets, and the celebrations that followed were unmatched. Peace reigned as Star Destroyers and dark lords became memories of another era, of a time long past, of galaxies long gone. Gone, but not forgotten. You can view or download the entire PDF on the official site.
Jade Dynasty: Legacy expansion goes live
Last week we reported that Perfect World Entertainment's free-to-play title Jade Dynasty would be receiving a new update known as Jade Dynasty: Legacy. The company announced in a press release today that the update has now gone live, and players can experience all of the joys of the Legacy update on the live servers. With this new update, players can explore the mysteries of Incense Valley as one of two new classes: the pyromancy-practicing Incense Valley Mage and the melee expert Forta. Players will need to band together with their allies in order to conquer the treacherous Crimson Peaks instance, which is touted as being "one of the largest in the game." For the full details, and to get in on the action yourself, just head on over to Jade Dynasty's official site. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Barbara Walters names Steve Jobs most fascinating person of 2011
This probably isn't the most important honor Steve Jobs has ever picked up, but Barbara Walters has named Apple's co-founder as the most fascinating person of 2011, as reported by USA Today. Unfortunately the article doesn't actually tell us why, instead focusing reality show personalities, only mentioning Steve Jobs at the end. If nothing else, this shows just how profound the effect of Steve's life and legacy has been. Amid an expected outpouring of emotion from the Apple community, several artists and mainstream news outlets have also honored Jobs and his work. Yes, temporary celebrity may be granted to these reality show stars and their ilk, but Jobs and his genius have built up a following across all kinds of different communities, and that's one of the most magical things about this man and his life.
Waaaghon Ho!: Warhammer Online merging servers following free transfers
Saddle up, rough riders: It's time to head to more fertile lands! Starting next week, select Warhammer Online players will be given the option to transfer between servers for free. The decision is Mythic's attempt to merge underpopulated servers, and the company hopes that this move will drive up the action in RvR for previously quiet locations. Players on the Gorfang (North America) and Karak Azgal (Europe) will be able to move house to Badlands and Karak Norn, respectively, starting December 14th. Once this happens, Gorfang and Karak Azgal will be marked as "Legacy" servers, keeping new players from rolling on them, and then after three weeks, the two servers will be shut down completely. Any characters left on those servers will not be playable until they transfer to their new homes. Mythic is also paving the way for guilds to move wholesale to new servers, with more information about this coming next week.
Jade Dynasty: Legacy to introduce new classes, dungeon, and more
Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will be releasing a new expansion for its free-to-play MMORPG, Jade Dynasty. The expansion, known as Jade Dynasty: Legacy, is the largest single update to the game since 2010's Vengeance, and it brings quite a few new features to the martial arts title. For starters, heroes will be able to venture into the mysterious Incense Valley in search of -- what else -- powerful, delicious loot. Players will also be able to step into the shoes of two new classes: the pyromaniacal Incense Valley Mage and the completely uninformatively named Forta. These classes will no doubt be very helpful in the new Crimson Peaks Voidland instance, which will play host to a party of 10 to 25 players as they face its dangers in hopes of securing the treasures hidden within. A number of balance passes have been made as well, which will hopefully ensure a more fair and enjoyable experience. For the full details, head on over to the Jade Dynasty official site. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Storyboard: Family legacy
The problem with providing systems for roleplayers is that pretty much every system developers try hits snags. Case in point: Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy system. For those of you who haven't yet heard about the system, please let us know how you're getting the site in 1980s Siberia. But I'll gloss over anyway: The core element of the system is that when you hit a certain point with a character, you pick a surname to unlock as your "Legacy" for all characters on that server. As you advance with more characters, you gain more benefits from the Legacy and so on and so forth. What we're really concerned with is the surname part because that's the part that matters to roleplayers. Being able to make a character's overall tree a tangible thing is a powerful element. It allows you to actually play a family, or at the very least, a linked coalition of characters. Unfortunately, while the idea works well, the problem is that surnames are so important that I almost wish that the system had a different way of tying the elements together.
Jean-Louis Gassée glad Apple chose NeXTSTEP over his BeOS
Jean-Louis Gassée now writes a weekly column about Apple, but back in the day he was head of the Macintosh division under Apple CEO John Sculley. After his removal by Sculley in 1990 following nine years of service, Gassée started Be, Inc which developed BeOS, a multithreaded, multi-CPU operating system. Speaking at a Churchill Club event honoring Steve Jobs, Gassée told the audience he was thankful that Apple did not buy BeOS because he "hated Apple's management." Instead of BeOS, Apple decided to acquire NeXT and use its OS as the basis of Mac OS X. Gassée called this decision "Jobs's acquisition of Apple" and paved the way for him to reclaim his company. Besides Gassée's comments, the almost two-hour-long presentation is filled with memories of Steve Jobs from his former colleagues including Jim Atkinson, Deb Stapleton, Andy Hertzfeld, Regis McKenna and Larry Tesler. There's even an unexpected appearance by Chris Espinosa who was not on the panel, but in the audience as an attendee. The program is embedded below and well worth a listen. [Via 9to5mac]
John Opel, IBM CEO during onset of the PC era, dies at 86
John Roberts Opel, the former IBM CEO who helped usher in the PC era, died last week at the age of 86. A native of Kansas City, MO, Opel received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1949, after fighting in the Philippines and Okinawa during World War II. Upon graduating, he was presented with two job offers -- he could either re-write economics textbooks, or assume control of his father's hardware business in Missouri. Not particularly enthralled with either opportunity, Opel decided to think things over during a fishing trip with his father and a family friend. As fate would have it, that friend turned out to be Harry Strait, an IBM sales manager. Strait offered Opel a sales position at the company, fortuitously setting the young grad on a career path that would span 36 years. Opel's career, in fact, began and peaked at two inflection points that would come to define not only IBM, but the computing industry as a whole. When he came aboard, IBM was still producing typewriters and other accounting devices; but that would soon change, with the dawn of the computing era. In 1959, he became assistant to then-chief executive Thomas J. Watson Jr. Just five years later, he oversaw the introduction of IBM's System 360 mainframe computer. He was appointed vice president in 1966, president in 1974 and, on January 1st, 1981, took over as IBM's fifth CEO, replacing Frank T. Cary. During his four-year tenure, Opel led IBM's push into the burgeoning PC market, overseeing the launch of IBM's first PC, the 5150, just seven months after taking the reins. He was also at the helm in 1982, when the Department of Justice dropped its 13-year antitrust suit against IBM, allowing the firm to expand its operations. Opel took full advantage. Under his stewardship, IBM's revenue nearly doubled and its corporate stature grew accordingly. In 1983, Opel made the cover of Time magazine, under a headline that read, "The Colossus That Works." He stepped down as CEO in 1985, served as chairman until 1986 and would remain on IBM's board until 1993. On Thursday, he passed away in Ft. Myers, FL, due to undisclosed causes. John Roberts Opel is survived by his wife of 56 years, five children, 15 grandchildren and a legacy that extends far beyond these 400 words.
John Lasseter receives star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honors Jobs
Pixar head (and current Disney chief creative officer) John Lasseter recently was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in addition to being honored for all his great work on Pixar's movies and Disney's animations, Lasseter himself passed on some of the honor to Steve Jobs. Jobs famously purchased Lucasfilm's digital animation division back in 1986, and founded Pixar, which was purchased then by Disney in 2006, making Jobs Disney's largest shareholder. And Lasseter honored Jobs' memory at his ceremony, saying that "Without Steve, Pixar wouldn't exist. These films wouldn't exist. I honor him." Pretty touching. Lasseter also said that Jobs's only mandate to him was to "make it great," and obviously with all of his work at Pixar, he's been able to do just that. Jobs is of course best remembered for his work with Apple, but his influence at Pixar was obviously strongly felt, and Pixar returned that love in its movies as well.
The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers
Back when I covered Asheron's Call for The Game Archaeologist, I got an impassioned email from a former fansite operator who made me promise that I'd drop her a line when the time came to talk about Asheron's Call 2, as she was not only a huge fan of the title but still in contact with many former players who carry a torch for Turbine's long-departed MMO. One thing led to another, and I ended up talking to both her and a fellow AC2 fansite manager about the ups and downs of covering the second coming of Dereth... The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself, your current job position, and how you got involved with Asheron's Call 2 back in the day? Kiersten Samwell: I'm Kiersten Samwell, Community Relations and Social Media Manager for KingsIsle Entertainment, the creator of Wizard101. I used to be the Site Manager for Warcry's Crossroads of Dereth/Asheron's Call site as Ellen Ripley, so it was natural to work with the site manager of their Asheron's Call 2 fansite as well. His name is Roberto, and he was just an incredible site manager. Of course, being an avid AC1 player, I enjoyed AC2 for both its similarities to and its differences from AC1. Robert Hackett: Hi, I'm Robert Hackett, the Managing MMO Editor of GamersInfo.net. I actually got invited to one of the betas along with a friend of mine. The lag was so bad (the day I logged in may have been a stress test; I can't remember) that I told my friend that there was no way my rig could handle that. Fast forward to the month after release and Ophelea from the old AC Crossroads site begged me to come over to AC2 and be an editor for the database she was trying to build. Logged in and the game was a million percent better. I stayed to work on the database and eventually fell in love with it beyond "work!"
Spotted in Los Angeles: Thank you, Steve
I spotted this great piece of graffiti art on the streets of Hollywood while heading home last night, and thought you TUAW readers would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I have no idea who actually put this up -- there wasn't any tag or signature on it, and it was just on a wall otherwise covered with various other pieces and posters. But in a way, that made it even better -- just one person's anonymous sentiment that echoes what so many of us feel. And I can tell you that the excellent detail and stark spray of the whole thing (if you can't tell, the whole picture was about eight feet tall, and really stood out on the corner) was pretty awesome to see. Thanks, LA artist, and thank you to the late great Steve Jobs as well.
T-Mobile customers would be able to keep rate plans on AT&T after contract expires
The post-merger AT&T&T world is a mysterious one. Nobody knows what it looks like or what the rules will be, and it's quite likely we won't know all of the answers until the acquisition has been completed -- if it makes it that far. However, at least another piece has been added to the puzzle for now; according to an internal employee FAQ sent in to TmoNews, any customer in love with their current rate plan will be allowed to grandfather it into AT&T's system and keep it after their contract expires. Curiously enough, it doesn't say anything about what will happen if you'd like to upgrade your phone, which could be a completely different story. At least this little chunk of news serves to soothe nervous souls concerned about being forced to a higher-priced plan, which may keep a lot of people from suddenly jumping ship.
BioWare's Laidlaw: DA2 'Legacy' DLC is a response to fan complaints
"There's a game out there that's better than both [Dragon Age] Origins and DAII, and I'll be damned if the talented folks of the DA team can't find it," BioWare lead designer Mike Laidlaw concluded a recent response to one fan on his company's forums. He was engaged in an ongoing conversation over the past few days in a subject thread titled "Dragon Age 2 reception and community discussed," wherein fans sounded off and a handful of BioWare reps responded to criticisms about the critically divisive Dragon Age 2, and its improved follow-up DLC, Legacy. "Legacy, I think, goes a long way towards demonstrating that we are listening, that we are aware of the weaknesses of DAII, and that we will continue to address them," he responded to another, specifically citing combat encounters, asset re-use, loot, and choice impact as areas to improve. While he of course didn't speak to Dragon Age 3, he did note that "Reasonable, passionate feedback is the best possible thing to provide. Seeing strongly negative reaction to DAII, and strongly positive reaction to Legacy, even from some of DAII's strongest detractors (and yes, I know it's not universal, but what is), is incredibly useful."
